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Who do you run for? What keeps you going when you feel like you can’t go any further?

Once upon a time, I ran a marathon for charity – the American Diabetes Association. Mainly I did this because I wanted to go to Ireland, not because of any interest in the organization. Little did I know that 4 years later I’d be diagnosed with diabetes and, well, get a little more interested in what they do!

Fast forward 5 or so years. I was getting ready to run my, likely, last NYC Marathon. I’ve run this one about 6 times (I think) and had decided I needed to expand my horizons! I wanted to run for charity but wasn’t sure which one.

That was 5 years ago and they still have my heart – and my sole(s) – hah! Get it?! Anyway…when I run, I run for all the people who have come into my life through the Foundation and Team McGraw. I run surrounded by angels.

Recently someone introduced me to a group on Facebook “I run 4 Michael”. What the organizers do is match up runners with people who can’t run. So, always looking for motivation, I signed up. It wasn’t long before I was matched with my running buddy – Kylar. He’s got bilateral Schizencephaly and his parents were told that he would never walk, talk, smile, see, hear…lots of things that he can do now! He’s got an amazing smile and is a little fighter. Now, when I run, in addition to all of my McGraw angels I’ve got Kylar in my heart and on my mind. And hopefully one day I’ll get to meet him in person.

So, who – or what – do you run for? What is your motivation to get out there when you don’t want to get out there?!